[[OLD]] A Handful of Daffodils (Forgotten Series, #7)

Chapter Sixty-Three: Part Four

Dorothy shook her head slightly before she pulled her hands behind her back and set her feet. "Alpha Lane Stenton in the case of lying to a Hunter officer and obstructing their duty to reunite Menza Aristotle with her family, you have been found?"

"Guilty."

"Guilty."

"Guilty."

"Guilty."

"Guilty."

"Guilty."

"Guilty." I called it out with a heavy bite. The fact he had lied was horrendous, especially considering what he had done afterwards. He punished her for being gone when he himself could have rectified it nearly immediately.

"Final verdict." Dorothy lifted her other hand. "Guilty." She lowered it. "Your sentence will be determined but the verdict stands." I was glad we were unified on that charge, he deserved it.

I shifted on my feet and looked down the line to look at where Menza was sitting on the step before I stepped forward. "Alpha Lane Stenton, Beta AJ Getts, Delta Howard Regan, Brochan O'Neill, you have hereby been charged with the vicious brutalization of the hemi-lykos, Menza Aristotle." This was the worst charge we currently had and I hoped the rest of the Council would do right by the small female we had failed so badly.

"She was punished! That was a punishment!" Stenton hissed it out and I blinked at him slowly. Punished was a really mild word for essentially sentencing her to death. True, she was walking around and breathing but that didn't stop what it caused. "She kidnapped a female of the pack and was punished for running away with her!" He called it out and I let out a slow breath to hold myself back from retaliating.

"She saved her, you dumbass!" Elf's voice was filled with outrage. "The rogues attacked her, in this fucking territory and was severely injured trying t' make sure the baby was not harmed as well. And then she ran because all y'all are assholes who didn't protect her! And then you ignored and lied to the fucking Hunters, preventing her from being returned!" Her voice pitched upwards and I glanced over at her. Her pale face actually had some colour and her hands were fisted as her hair floated around her head, magic snapping. "She ran because that was what needed t' be done so you do not get to sit there and deride her for surviving as situation that would have killed anyone else and that you caused!" I glanced over the rest of the Council, they were all looking uneasy as well, an unstable witch did not bode well.

"She's a half-breed bitc-" Stenton's venomous words were cut off as a bolt of lightening slammed into a tree near the edge of the yard and it exploded with nearly a deafening crack. I flinched at it, unable to keep myself still.

"She was innocent!" Elf's voice boomed out of her and several pack members shouted, bolting away from the wooden shrapnel and I immediately whirled around, knowing we had to get the situation under control before it devolved into something we could not come back from.

"Enough!" Muffin's voice was just as loud and everything seemed to freeze. "Control yourself or I will send you back to your coven." It was a harsh reprimand and Elf closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled until she seemed to calm down. "Proceed." Muffin waved us off, her focus intent on Elf, as if watching her for any movement or indication that she was going to crack again.

I cleared my throat and turned back to the ranks. "For the crime of whipping a hemi-lykos beyond the point of death, as verified by two separate witches, the Council hereby reserves the right to bring the verdict of death in response to these charges." At my words I could hear the rest of the pack, who hadn't bolted after the lightning, muttering. It wasn't a light thing to bring the verdict of death but if there was ever a case to do it, this was one. "Alpha Lane Stenton, for the crime of viciously brutalizing a hemi-lykos by ordering her whipped beyond the point of death, you will be henceforth found." I lifted my hand and the Delta surged forward.